How to remove encryption from iPhone or an iOS Backup [Solved]

Summary

Forgot iPhone backup password? When you create a backup of your iOS device with iTunes (or Finder if you use macOS Catalina or higher), you will be given an option to encrypt your backup, so that your information is then locked and encoded.

This article provides information on how to remove encryption from your backup (how to turn off encryption on iPhone) as well as details on what to do if you don't remember your original encryption password.

To remove the encryption from an iOS backup if you know the password, follow these steps...

1. Connect the iOS device to your computer using a USB cable.
2. Launch iTunes (or Finder on macOS Catalina and higher).
3. Select the device from the list and ensure the Summary tab is selected.
4. Under the "Backups" header, uncheck the 'Encrypt Local Backup' Option.
5. You'll need to enter the original password which you set to confirm removing encryption.

iPhone backup password recovery and reset

If you do not remember your encryption password, reset it on your device...

For devices using iOS 11 or later, you can make a new encrypted backup of your device by resetting the password, as detailed below:

1. Under Settings on your iOS device, go to General, then find Reset at the bottom of the list.
2. Choose Reset All Settings and enter your device passcode.
3. Tap Reset All Settings to confirm. You won't lose any user data, media or passwords, this will only reset your settings like display brightness, home screen layout, and wallpaper. Importantly, this will also remove your encrypted backup password.
4. Connect your iOS device to iTunes/Finder again and create a new backup. As detailed in the previous steps, make sure to uncheck the 'Encrypt Local Backup' Option.

Recover data from your backup

Should you need to retrieve data from the backup of your iOS device, iBackup Extractor can help you with this. You can recover your iPhone contacts, messages, photos, notes and more!

Download the free trial version of iBackup Extractor today, to extract 20 items without any signups. Full version works with an unlimited number of iOS devices and backups.